Do you agree with Jerry C?
- Thread starter Halldan1
- Start date
If he wins on Saturday, it would be hard to argue. If we go 11-8 with all we have gone through, you have to tip your hat to him. The league will put 7 teams in tournament this year, and there are no gimme wins. Before conference play, I thought 12-8 or possibly 13-7. To possibly go 11-8 with all we have gone through, very impressive.
He's done a nice job stabilizing things, but no, I don't agree. His best job was 2016. He turned a collapse in '15 into an elite defensive team with a couple big time playmakers on offense.
I was thinking the same thing last night. I don't know if it's his best job but it could be. If this team finishes strong, wins the BET, and earns a 6 seed then yes it is right up there with IW's sophomore year and MP's senior year, imo. As they normally do, things looked bleak entering February (as they normally do), but we also lost our pg (and a backup pg in Long) and things could have easily turned south. The team stayed united and has finished really strong to this point. He has really built a strong program, where making the tournament isn't even celebrated the way we used to. As a freshman in 2006, I got used to not making the tournament and now we are a regular and it is a huge testament to Willard.
No. Seton Hall will be 1-6 vs Prov, Nova, Marq, & Uconn.
Got lucky they didn’t have to play Providence twice, played Creighton w/ out their pg, Nova without Daniels, Depaul for a half without Freeman-Liberty. Every team has endured injuries/covid etc.
Got lucky they didn’t have to play Providence twice, played Creighton w/ out their pg, Nova without Daniels, Depaul for a half without Freeman-Liberty. Every team has endured injuries/covid etc.
Idk if it’s his best, it’s def a good job after 3-6. Can’t take getting to 10-8 after that lightly.
No, not his best job at all, a few other years come to mind. 2016. 2020.
That year and 18-19 second for me. Lost 4 seniors who ranged from being a top league player (Angel) to very good/good league players. Of course the Powell-junior year show had a lot to do with that too, but digging us out of the hole to dance that year.
I think this group would like to get the 5 slot just to get another swing at Marquette.
I get the 1-6 comment above but we had a last minutes opportunity in every one of those games.
The SJU walsh game was the killer.
As for KW have to give great credit to adapting on the fly with so many roles changing and barely having enough players to have a real practice. Maybe not his best ever but damm good.
I get the 1-6 comment above but we had a last minutes opportunity in every one of those games.
The SJU walsh game was the killer.
As for KW have to give great credit to adapting on the fly with so many roles changing and barely having enough players to have a real practice. Maybe not his best ever but damm good.
He definitely did a good job of righting the ship. This team was broken. I know this year there was an explanation/excuse but he really needs to find a way to avoid the January swoon. Going into conference play at 9-1, I legitimately thought we had a chance to go 15-5 and win the conference. I believe we could have if not for the covid pause and losing Aiken.
I know Carino is talking about the Big East season. But, I'll wait until to see what the team does in the NCAA Tournament. Let's face facts, the season is all about the Tournament. If he gets to the Sweet 16, then it would be his best coaching since he has been here.
We make it sound as if no team ever goes through issues except for us.
Agree with that overall. If we manage to beat Creighton, I think this year will be right up there considering how the BE season got started and losing Aiken.
If we get the 5th seed, Marquette would have to be the 6th seed and we wouldn't play them unless it was in the finals.
Much like carinos vote for Rutgers in the top 25 two weeks ago, he is a super jersey homer. Love him but it’s hard for him to be too objective on this.
Good job by Willard to turn it around amid Covid and injuries, yes, in conversation to be coach of the year when finishing 5-6 in big East when projected to be 5th, absolutely not.
Good job by Willard to turn it around amid Covid and injuries, yes, in conversation to be coach of the year when finishing 5-6 in big East when projected to be 5th, absolutely not.
Tough to beat them twice in a row but how great would it be if we beat them at their home on senior night then on national stage at msg in big East tourney, as a little revenge from the 2020 fiasco with celebrating Conf championship with us still on court.
Same shit happens every January doesn’t matter what the new excuses are.
He was able to right the ship, great but no where close to other seasons.
He was able to right the ship, great but no where close to other seasons.
No, not close. The comeback was terrific. The slump was awful. For a while we looked like a team that had no biz even thinking it was a tourney team.
I'd disagree with JC. Its nice that he has righted the ship, but most the wins in the turnaround are not against the Big East's finest.
I think KW is a good fit as SHU coach.But there is no way he's BE coach of the year.Cooley,McDermott and Smart have all done better jobs this year.Jerry please stop with the excuses as we're not the only team who's had injuries,Covid,etc.You're starting to sound like KW.
So I also don’t agree with this take at all. And there are flaws all over this article. (Mind you it’s raining in San Diego today. So I might just be a little grumpy)
Carino:
Willard revamped the Pirates’ offense on the fly this winter after ace guard Bryce Aiken went down with a head injury.
Response:
6 conference games with Bryce
- 76.2 ppg, 22 FTA per game, 11.2 TO
13 games without Aiken
- 69 ppg, 17 FTA per game, 12.5 turnovers
Assists are only up about 1 per game.
Besides the 3 point shooting having improved the team has regressed in essentially all other metrics.
And I can show you countless threads about the fans complaining about the lack of offensive system even with Aiken here.
Carino:
“They’ve won seven of their past nine contests, with the lone losses coming at Villanova and Connecticut by a combined 11 points.”
Response:
In their 7 wins they have beaten teams with a combined conference record of 31-61. Which includes 6 of those wins vs teams ranked 8-11 in the Big East standings, and two wins vs winless Georgetown by a combined 12 points.
Carino quoting Willard
"Kadary knows where Jamir is, understands what a weapon he can be, that he can really space the floor,” Willard said. “So I think that lineup with Jared and Myles is going to be really good.”
Response:
At what point have we EVER seen a lineup that went small and combined this four guard look? He has religiously swapped Jackson with Yetna and Obiagu with Samuel. Go check every box score and they share all 80 minutes between the 4 and 5 spots. So I have no idea what they are trying to illustrate here.
Carino:
“Willard decided he needed either Harris or junior forward Tray Jackson on the floor at all times. They are the team’s best 3-point threats with Aiken sidelined. There's been an emphasis on running them off screens whereas before it was Aiken with the ball, making something happen.”
Response:
We must not be watching the same games. The ISO ball has been so predominant a part of this offense the entire season. It just shifted from Aiken to more focus on Rhoden and Richmond. We have worked Jackson and Harris into the offense more and when they do get open looks their percentages are very effective, but I would not say there is an “emphasis” to run them off screen. How many shots did we get Tray Jackson vs Georgetown off a screen after he was 5/5 from 3 against Xavier. I challenge you to go back and watch the game film to answer that question.
Carino
“In past years, as a season’s wear and tear took its toll, Willard eased off down the stretch. By contrast, he’s pushed this group pretty hard, partly because of the need to install stuff but also because he sensed the guys would respond to “getting after it,” as he likes to say.”
Response
I am confused here. I can go back to several post game shows with Cohen and Popkin where Willard highlighted the challenges with the schedule over and over again preventing his team from having the opportunity to practice. Covid-19 prevented the team from having the ability to practice. Kadary getting the flu prevented him from having the ability to practice for a full week. When did he have the opportunity to push this team harder than he has done in the past based on the narrative he has shared publicly?
Carino:
“How many high-majors could sustain the loss of their best guard and gather it up for a 7-2 run through the teeth of the league schedule?”
Response:
How about Texas Tech who has missed Terrance Shannon and Kevin McCullars for 11 and 7 games respectively and still are poised to earn an overall 2 seed playing in the toughest conference in the country.
Or how about Baylor who has probably lost LJ Cryer for the season (13 games missed to date) who was averaging 13 ppg and shooting nearly 47% from 3. They also had Flagger (3 games) and Akinjo (2 games) miss some time. And they are only 25-5 and ranked 3rd in the country, also playing in the B12.
Has Willard done a nice job?…yes.
Did they still have a January swoon?…YES
Did he exceed preseason conference expectations…NO
Does he have a successful record against the top 5 teams in the conference (1-6)?…NO
This is another glorified puff piece.
And this is the reason why we do our show the way we do it. To be objective, it’s an opportunity to highlight the positives, lament about the negatives, and have some fun with other things.
Jerry consistently gives you the Blue Tinted Glasses slant and tries to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.
Sorry but this is nowhere close to Kevin Willard’s best coaching job at the Hall.
Carino:
Willard revamped the Pirates’ offense on the fly this winter after ace guard Bryce Aiken went down with a head injury.
Response:
6 conference games with Bryce
- 76.2 ppg, 22 FTA per game, 11.2 TO
13 games without Aiken
- 69 ppg, 17 FTA per game, 12.5 turnovers
Assists are only up about 1 per game.
Besides the 3 point shooting having improved the team has regressed in essentially all other metrics.
And I can show you countless threads about the fans complaining about the lack of offensive system even with Aiken here.
Carino:
“They’ve won seven of their past nine contests, with the lone losses coming at Villanova and Connecticut by a combined 11 points.”
Response:
In their 7 wins they have beaten teams with a combined conference record of 31-61. Which includes 6 of those wins vs teams ranked 8-11 in the Big East standings, and two wins vs winless Georgetown by a combined 12 points.
Carino quoting Willard
"Kadary knows where Jamir is, understands what a weapon he can be, that he can really space the floor,” Willard said. “So I think that lineup with Jared and Myles is going to be really good.”
Response:
At what point have we EVER seen a lineup that went small and combined this four guard look? He has religiously swapped Jackson with Yetna and Obiagu with Samuel. Go check every box score and they share all 80 minutes between the 4 and 5 spots. So I have no idea what they are trying to illustrate here.
Carino:
“Willard decided he needed either Harris or junior forward Tray Jackson on the floor at all times. They are the team’s best 3-point threats with Aiken sidelined. There's been an emphasis on running them off screens whereas before it was Aiken with the ball, making something happen.”
Response:
We must not be watching the same games. The ISO ball has been so predominant a part of this offense the entire season. It just shifted from Aiken to more focus on Rhoden and Richmond. We have worked Jackson and Harris into the offense more and when they do get open looks their percentages are very effective, but I would not say there is an “emphasis” to run them off screen. How many shots did we get Tray Jackson vs Georgetown off a screen after he was 5/5 from 3 against Xavier. I challenge you to go back and watch the game film to answer that question.
Carino
“In past years, as a season’s wear and tear took its toll, Willard eased off down the stretch. By contrast, he’s pushed this group pretty hard, partly because of the need to install stuff but also because he sensed the guys would respond to “getting after it,” as he likes to say.”
Response
I am confused here. I can go back to several post game shows with Cohen and Popkin where Willard highlighted the challenges with the schedule over and over again preventing his team from having the opportunity to practice. Covid-19 prevented the team from having the ability to practice. Kadary getting the flu prevented him from having the ability to practice for a full week. When did he have the opportunity to push this team harder than he has done in the past based on the narrative he has shared publicly?
Carino:
“How many high-majors could sustain the loss of their best guard and gather it up for a 7-2 run through the teeth of the league schedule?”
Response:
How about Texas Tech who has missed Terrance Shannon and Kevin McCullars for 11 and 7 games respectively and still are poised to earn an overall 2 seed playing in the toughest conference in the country.
Or how about Baylor who has probably lost LJ Cryer for the season (13 games missed to date) who was averaging 13 ppg and shooting nearly 47% from 3. They also had Flagger (3 games) and Akinjo (2 games) miss some time. And they are only 25-5 and ranked 3rd in the country, also playing in the B12.
Has Willard done a nice job?…yes.
Did they still have a January swoon?…YES
Did he exceed preseason conference expectations…NO
Does he have a successful record against the top 5 teams in the conference (1-6)?…NO
This is another glorified puff piece.
And this is the reason why we do our show the way we do it. To be objective, it’s an opportunity to highlight the positives, lament about the negatives, and have some fun with other things.
Jerry consistently gives you the Blue Tinted Glasses slant and tries to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.
Sorry but this is nowhere close to Kevin Willard’s best coaching job at the Hall.
This in spades, I may even have to start listening to the podcast except I hate podcasts.
Carino is a great writer but I liked him much more when he wasn't such a shill.
I think Willard has done a very nice job getting the team back in contention and playing well. January swoon aside, the one thing that really bothered me is the no-show performance at Walsh vs St Johns. Losing tough games is one thing. Playing a little poorly during the "swoon" is another. That was straight up embarrassing.
Awful take. At best, this season is a distant #4 behind MP's Junior and Senior seasons and 2016.
It's a fair point. In the Big East alone, several teams have COVID issues and injury issues to good players.
2016 definitely the best for the reason shu09 stated: coming off a debacle of a season in which we were a laughingstock by year-end because of the Tiny situation and what people thought that might have done to the locker room, and getting a group of unproven sophomores and a transfer to rally to not only make the dance but win the BE tournament. And I think 2019 is next -- given all we lost and when we needed some big wins over good teams to make the dance -- although a big part of that was Powell being superman for a stretch.
Have you considered becoming a lawyer? Wouldn’t want to be cross-examined by you. 😂
We did have to start the league with no centers vs the two best teams. And we did lose a critical piece midseason. So did Depaul, losing an even bigger piece. But tough to compare them and us, given the different expecations. Regardless of what other teams faced, the issues this season are not made up or insignificant. And we have battled back admirably.
Willard has grown into being a head coach in the BE. He has accomplished making Seton Hall relevant again. He schedules a big boy OOC. Given what he has to work with I don’t see anyone doing better over the same period.
I think people forget 2018-2019. Going into that season, we lose 4 kids who had been our best players for basically 3 years straight.
Ish in a defensive/support role, but Angel who is one of the best bigs we've had in forever (and was one of the best in the country his senior year), plus two very good BE players in Deanno and Desi.
Powell was projected to make a leap, although he made an even greater leap than what I think most imagined.
Preseason, the consensus as I recall was that our second best player, and who we would rely on to make a big impact, was none other than TT.
I know now Dan and others say that things were going on behind the scenes where folks weren't as high on him, but I distinctly remember the preseason all BE teams coming out and folks, including connected posters, scoffing at the notion that TT wasn't in the mix.
Q wasn't Q yet on that team (at least not on the offensive end); Cale and Mamu (even more so) were less proven and young, Rhoden was a freshman.
That team was in danger of not making the Dance late into the year until the two huge home wins against Nova and Marquette, setting up some W's in the BE tourney.
Ish in a defensive/support role, but Angel who is one of the best bigs we've had in forever (and was one of the best in the country his senior year), plus two very good BE players in Deanno and Desi.
Powell was projected to make a leap, although he made an even greater leap than what I think most imagined.
Preseason, the consensus as I recall was that our second best player, and who we would rely on to make a big impact, was none other than TT.
I know now Dan and others say that things were going on behind the scenes where folks weren't as high on him, but I distinctly remember the preseason all BE teams coming out and folks, including connected posters, scoffing at the notion that TT wasn't in the mix.
Q wasn't Q yet on that team (at least not on the offensive end); Cale and Mamu (even more so) were less proven and young, Rhoden was a freshman.
That team was in danger of not making the Dance late into the year until the two huge home wins against Nova and Marquette, setting up some W's in the BE tourney.
Honestly, y’all would find fault with Mother Teresa.
Let’s get you on the sidelines and see what you can produce.
Only legitimate criticism of Willard has been inability to advance in the Dance. I don’t think that’s because of offensive scheme or lack thereof. It’s a lack of toughness.
Seton Hall's turnaround has also been a partial product of the schedule lightening up. It was largely frontloaded this year - February and March to date has consisted of 5 games at home versus 4 on the road and 6 of those 9 games against teams in the bottom half of the league.
For a slightly above average team like Seton Hall, that translates into more wins.
For a slightly above average team like Seton Hall, that translates into more wins.
It’s because he goes easy on the team as the season goes on and Jan in the pinnacle of this ( even says in the article) .
Maybe you should have used a better example???
In all seriousness, 12 years, 4 tourney appearances (1-4 record), 1 BET, 1 shared BE title. This requires blind loyalty?
I agree with and agree we've battled back. Happy about that of course. But others have had issues too. I don't recall all of them offhand, but several teams played key games against good opponents shorthanded because of COVID, I'm pretty sure. Or dealt with a number of games in a short timeframe because of the COVID cancellations.
On the injury front, besides Depaul losing one of the league's best players, Nova has had its two star guards hobbled or playing diminished for certain games (granted, I don't think they've missed). Creighton lost its young PG yet battled back to win key games, and that kid basically never came off the floor because they have no backup. I think Uconn played a few games without key players -- although maybe I'm wrong there. Both Champagne and Alexander -- easily SJU's two best players -- missed games, parts of games/left games because of injuries, and how would there season look if 2 or 3 of those close losses turn into wins? And I'm probably overlooking stuff others have had to deal with.
I give our guys and coach credit. But I don't think its off-base to note we weren't alone with this stuff.
